SGU Episode 384

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SGU Episode 384
24th November 2012
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 383                      SGU 385
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guest
RW: Richard Wiseman
Quote of the Week
The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom but to set a limit to infinite error.
Bertolt Brecht
Links
Download Podcast
SGU Podcast archive
Forum Discussion

Introduction

You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.

S: Hello and welcome to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. Today is Saturday October 27th 2012 and this is your host Steven Novella. Joining me this week are Bob Novella.

B: Hey everybody.

S: Jay Novella.

J: Hey guys.

S: Evan Bernstein.

E: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

S: And we have a special guest this week, Richard Wiseman, Richard welcome back to the Skeptics' Guide.

RW: Bonjour, ça va?

S: You are the host, the MC of SCI*Con two thousand and twelve.

RW: Yes.

B: Twenty twelve.

S: Twenty twelve, and you're doing and excellent job, we're enjoying it very much and thanks again for joining us on the show.

Special Report: Richard Wiseman on his Dream Research (0:44)

• Richard updates us on his dream research and the iPhone app - Dream:ON

This section is in the middle of being transcribed by rwh86 (talk) as of {{{date}}}. To help avoid duplication, please do not transcribe this section while this message is displayed.

S: So, we were chatting a while ago about your recent work that you've been doing, you're working on something to do with dreams.

RW: I am, I'm working on Dream:ON which is an iPhone app which everyone can download because it's free, and it's an idea that came to me I guess about a year and a half ago when I looked at some very bizarre research from I think it's the early '70s from Stanford I think it was, and it was a guy who was waiting until people were in dream states, he was a sleep researcher.

B: Mr. LaBerge? Stephen LaBerge?

RW: No.

B: No?

R: No, no no. It's William Dement.

S: And we should mention before we go on that you are a psychologist.

RW: We should mention that.

S: Yes.

RW: Yes. Shall we?

S: Yes.

J: (laughs)

RW: Let's mention that. I'm a psychologist.

S: And author of several books, we'd like to...

RW: Oooh the books, Paranormality. That's very good, they were very kind, they gave me a little prize for that at this very conference.

S: Is that right?

RW: It was very nice.

S: A very prestigious prize I understand.

RW: Very prestigious prize, the Robert Bales critical thinking.

S: Yeah, you're following in the footsteps of some very prestigious recipients.

RW: I understand the previous recipient is not very far from me now.

S: That's right.

(laughter)

RW: Did it change your life?

S: Oh tremendously, yes. It altered the trajectory of my life in numerous ways.

RW: But I tell you what's nice is the money that comes with it. Ten thousand dollars, lovely.

(laughter)

E: Dollars or euros, or lira? Yen?

RW: So yes, I'm a psychologist, and I got interested in dreaming because of Paranormality actually, there's a chapter on precognitive dreams, so I got into the work of a guy called William Dement and he did this great experiment, best experiment ever, so in a sleep research lab, he waited until people were in dream state, showing REM, Rapid Eye Movement, and then he played in audio sounds, as

(2:39)

This Day in Skepticism (13:34)

• November 24, 1859: On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin, is published

News Items

Aspartame Study (26:30)

• Harvard hospital admits it promoted weak science on aspartame

Being a Psychopath (32:57)

• The Benefits of Being a Psychopath

Type Ia Supernova (45:19)

• White Widow Theory Could Explain Type Ia Supernovae Birth

Fecal Transplants (55:56)

• Targeted Restoration of the Intestinal Microbiota with a Simple, Defined Bacteriotherapy Resolves Relapsing Clostridium difficile Disease in Mice

Science or Fiction (1:03:30)

Item number one. Some sharks can change their shape by inflating their body with water or air. Item number two. Some shark's poop comes out in a spiral pattern. Item number three. Some sharks can vomit out their own stomachs. Item number four. Sharks do not get cancer which is why cancer researchers frequently study them. And item number five. Sharks are affected by the Moon, leading them to kill more people.

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:14:14)

The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom but to set a limit to infinite error.

Bertolt Brecht

References